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This randomized phase II trial is studying how alvocidib, cytarabine, and mitoxantrone hydrochloride work compared to cytarabine and daunorubicin hydrochloride in treating patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. Alvocidib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cytarabine, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, and daunorubicin hydrochloride work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether giving alvocidib, cytarabine, and mitoxantrone hydrochloride is more effective than giving cytarabine and daunorubicin hydrochloride in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Bone marrow showing less than 5% myeloblasts with normal maturation of all cell lines, an ANC of at least 1000/cu mm and a platelet count of 100,000/cu mm, absence of blast in peripheral blood, absence of identifiable leukemic cells in the bone marrow, clearance of disease-associated cytogenetic abnormalities, and clearance of any previously existing extramedullary disease. These criteria are taken from Dohner H, Estey EH, Amadori S, et al. Diagnosis and management of acute myeloid leukemia in adults: recommendations from an international expert panel, on behalf of the European LeukemiaNet. Blood 2010;115:453-474

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Incidence of Toxicities, Characterized by Number of Events by Treatment and Grade [ Time Frame: Up to 14 days after completion of study treatment ]

The descriptions and grading scales found in the revised NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0 will be utilized for AE reporting.

Disease-free Survival [ Time Frame: Time from randomization until death from any cause or relapse or recurrence, assessed up to 2 years ]

Probabilities will be estimated with the Kaplan-Meier estimate. Survival estimates at two years will be estimated. Disease-free survival Overall survival was defined from date of randomization to death or last known follow-up. Event free survival was defined as date of randomization to the first occurrence of persistent AML after 1 cycle of induction, relapse or death. Patients were censored for event free survival if they had received non-protocol therapy or a stem cell transplant.

Overall Survival [ Time Frame: 4 years ]

Probabilities will be estimated with the Kaplan-Meier estimate. Survival estimates at two years will be estimated.

Number of Patients With Minimal Residual Disease [ Time Frame: From study start to 14 days after the start of treatment ]

Comparisons of the treatments with respect to MRD will be based on the number of patients with MRD at day 14 after the start of treatment.

Progression-free Survival [ Time Frame: 4 years ]

Probabilities will be estimated with the Kaplan-Meier estimate. Survival estimates at two years will be estimated.

Patients receive alvocidib IV over 1 hour on days 1-3, cytarabine IV over 72 hours on days 6-8, and mitoxantrone hydrochloride IV over 1-2 hours on day 9. Patients who achieve complete or partial response to the first course (completion of all doses) may receive a second course of treatment or high-dose cytarabine after 21-63 days following blood count recovery, and/or undergo allogeneic bone marrow transplant.

Drug: alvocidib

Given IV

Other Names:

FLAVO

flavopiridol

HMR 1275

L-868275

Drug: mitoxantrone hydrochloride

Given IV

Other Names:

CL 232315

DHAD

DHAQ

Drug: cytarabine

Given IV

Other Names:

ARA-C

arabinofuranosylcytosine

arabinosylcytosine

Cytosar-U

cytosine arabinoside

Active Comparator: Arm II (cytarabine, daunorubicin hydrochloride)

Patients receive cytarabine IV continuously on days 1-7 and daunorubicin hydrochloride IV on days 1-3. Patients who have residual disease on day 14 may receive additional cytarabine for 5 days and daunorubicin hydrochloride for 2 days.

I. To evaluate and compare the toxicities of FLAM vs 7+3. II. To compare the 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in response to FLAM vs 7+3.

III. To detect and compare the presence of minimal-residual disease (MRD) remaining after FLAM vs 7+3.

IV. To determine the expression of ABC transport proteins multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1, ABCB1) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP, ABCG2) on AML blasts pretreatment and correlate the expressions of one or both proteins with CR and DFS in response to FLAM vs 7+3.

ARM I: Patients receive alvocidib intravenously (IV) over 1 hour on days 1-3, cytarabine IV over 72 hours on days 6-8, and mitoxantrone hydrochloride IV over 1-2 hours on day 9. Patients who achieve complete or partial response to the first course (completion of all doses) may receive a second course of treatment or high-dose cytarabine after 21-63 days following blood count recovery, and/or undergo allogeneic bone marrow transplant.

ARM II: Patients receive cytarabine IV continuously on days 1-7 and daunorubicin hydrochloride IV on days 1-3. Patients who have residual disease on day 14 may receive additional cytarabine for 5 days and daunorubicin hydrochloride for 2 days. Patients may undergo blood and bone marrow collection for correlative studies.

After completion of study therapy, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 5 years, and then annually thereafter.

Eligibility

Information from the National Library of Medicine

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Patients who have received hydroxyurea alone or have received non-cytotoxic therapies previously for myelodysplasia (MDS) or myeloproliferative disorder (MPD) (e.g., thalidomide or lenalidomide, interferon, cytokines, 5-azacytidine or decitabine, histone deacetylase inhibitors, low-dose cyclophosphamide [cytoxan], tyrosine kinase [TK] or dual TK/src inhibitors) will be eligible for this trial

At least 24 hours since prior leukopheresis or hydroxyurea for cytoreduction

Exclusion Criteria:

Any previous treatment with flavopiridol

Concomitant chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy

Hyperleukocytosis with >= 50,000 blasts/uL; leukopheresis or hydroxyurea may be used immediately prior to study drug administration for cytoreduction; must be stopped 24 hours before first dose of study chemotherapy